Improvement in hoof-skirts



C. E. PRATT.

- Hoop Skirt. No. 105,124. Y

Patented July 5, 1870.

(baited fifties against dhfljiinr.

CHARLES E. PRATT, OF RAHWAY, NEW JERSEY, ASSIGNOR TO HIMSELF, M. OOIIN &

00., OF NEW YORK CITY, AND THE VEST, BRADLEY, AND CAREY MANUFACTUR- ING COMPANY, OF SAME PLACE.

\ Letters Patent No. 105,124, dated July 5, 1870.

IMPROVEMENT IN HOOP-SKIRTS. W

The Schedule referred to in these Letters Patent and making part of the same.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, CHARLES E. PRATT, of Rahway, in the county of Union and State of -New Jersey, have invented a new and improved Hoop-Skirt; and I do hereby declare that the following is a full, clear, and exact description thereof, which will enable others skilled in the art to make and use the same, reference being bad to the accompanying drawing forming part of this specification.

This invention relates to improvements in skeleton hoop-skirts, and consists in the employment of one or more bracing-hoops, attached to the back near the top, and springing around to the front, and downward to a point about the height of the knees of the wearer, as hereinafterdescribed, in substitution of a large number of the concentric hoops, which, by this improvement, may be omitted from a short distance below the waist to the lower portion of the skirt, which are in contact to the wearer when sitting down, both because of sitting on them, and because the front parts are thrown up, so as to raise the front of the dress, by sitting on the rear parts, which it is one of the principal objects of this invention to counterklhe drawing represents a side view of my improved s irt. v J

The suspending-tapes A, concentric hoops B, and

;the waist-band O, are all such as heretofore used.

My invention consists in the application of one or more diagonal braces, D, of any suitable material, which will produce the desired effect, attached at the back, a short distance below the waist-band O, to the Theendsmay terminate at these tapes, or they maybe continued, so as to meet, and be connected together.

This brace, being supported at E, both by the skirt itself, which has considerable rigidity there, and by the under-clothing thereat, which commonly springs outward, or are supported by the bustle or other device, has the effect to retain, in a considerable measure, the natural shape of the skirt in the space where the concentric hoops ale omitted, and it counteracts the swinging tendency of the bottom of the 'dress caused by the horizontal oscillation of the body while walking; but its most essential advantage is that, when the wearer sits down upon a seat, the tendency of the hoops B to rise at the front, in consequence of the rear parts being crowded against the front lower part of the seat and the rear suspending-tapes, and the other skirts of the wearer, being drawn over the seat-front toward the back, are counteracted by this brace, which prevents them from bowing up at the front, by'drawing them in thereat, and causing a lateral extension on each side, which does not raise the dress, as is the case with the skirts as now made.

By the use of this brace, the skirt is made equally.

as useful for all required purposes, and as durable with the omission of the concentric hoops, as specified, as when they are used as heretofore, which omission is highly desirable, for, when used, the wearer cannot sit without sitting on the hoops, which are always uncomfortable, and sometimes injurious. The knees are also exposed to the liability of being cut or hurt by.

them; but, in this case, they are'round both fromthe seat and the knees.

Another advantage of this arrangement is, that the brace D holds the front parts of the bottom hoops from falling to the floor'when sitting, as they do in the skirts as now made; and, when the wearer kneels, the front wire falls below the knees, so that they may not'be injured, as they are liable to be with the skirts in which the concentric hoops arearranged as in the common way.

Having thus described my invention,

I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent- In a skeleton hoop-skirt, one or more bmcing-hoops D, which extend from a point at or near the top 0 the skirt at the back toa point at or about the height of the knee of the wearer in front, substantially as and for the purpose set forth.

. C. E. PRATT.

Wit:

Geo. W. MABEE,

T. B. Mosrmn. 

